Method oe reclaiming pipe



Nov. 22, 1932. E. CHAPPELL METHOD OF RECLAIMING PIPE Filed Aug. 15. 1931 a v Li mg \l u D r [meyzt'znv EUGENE L. LL

5/3 4/fbrnaya Patented Nov. 22, 1932,

UNITED STATES V EUGENE L; CH APPELL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD or RECLAIMING PIPE Application filed August 15, 1931.

This invention relates to a method of reclaiming corroded pipes and the like, and while not limited thereto relates more specifically to a method of reclaiming corroded pipe systems such as found in public buildings, dwellings and other large structures.

The object of this invention is to provide a method adapted to remove corrosion deposits from pipe systems and to provide a lining or coating of noncorrosive material on the interior of the'system after the corrosion deposits have been removed.

Another object is the provision of a novel method of depositing a nonmetallic coating on pipes and pipe systems, such as a coating of cement or the like,

In the drawing: V

Figure l'is adiagrammatic showing of a piping system which has been divided into 0 units, and has-been equipped to carry out the method of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view showing the outlet end of one of the branch pipes.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing a form 5 of outlet nozzle for usein the. outlet hose sections.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates a main header of a piping system which has a plurality of risers 3 leading'tlierefr om. The risers 3 may be reduced in d ameter intermediate their endsin accordance with plumbing practice, as between the points 15 and 16 of Figure 1. Each of the risers 3 is provided with a plu- 85 rality of branch ipes 4, which may lead to sinks or the like t roughout a building structure.

In carrying out the method of this application the piping system is treated in units, that is, each riser 3 and its branch lines 4 is assumed to be a unit, and is detached from the header 2 as shown at the right hand of Figure 1. This unit to be treated, after being detached from the head 2, has its lower end provided with a temporary connection 5 which leads to a tank or gun 6 (the purpose of which will be hereinafter described).

The tank or gun 6 has a removable top or cover port-ion 7 which is connected by a conduit 8 to a bank'of fluid pressure storage Serial No. 557,422.

tanks 9 adapted to contain air or other gaseous fluid under pressure, the air or other gaseous fluid being delivered to the tanks 9 by a compressor 10 operated by a motor 12., The above fluid compressing unit is of rdinary and standard design and, theref re, will not be illustrated or described in de ail.

The conduit 8 leading from the lcgp of tanks 9 to the vessel or gun 6 is p vided with a main control valve. 13 and a bleeder or relief valve 14.

After the above described apparatus has been connected to the lower end of the piping unit to be treated, the vessel or gun 6 will be filled with an abrasive material such as sand, iron filings, carborundum or any other suitable granular material and the compressed air or fluid under pressure will be turned into the vessel or gun 6 by opening the valve 13, thus blowing the abrasive material through the unit of the piping system to cut away and remove the corrosion deposits. It will be understood that any suitable sand blasting gun may be substituted for the gun 6. After the corrosion deposits have been removed, Water or other liquid may be run through the unit ofthe piping system to remove any traces of the abrasive material and clear the surface of the pipe. This cleaning step ma be omitted, if desired, and if used the liqui may be admitted either through the vessel or gun 6 or a temporary connection for the fluid may be substituted for the connection 5.

After the piping unit has been cleaned as above described, a quantity of cement grout will be placed in the gun or vessel to "be forced through the cleaned unit. Prior to forcing the grout through the cleaned unit the risers 3 and each of the branch pipes 4 will be closed, with the exception of one or more of the branch pipes adjacent the end of the riser 3 farthest from the end at which the grout is to be admitted, which latter branch pipes are permitted to remain open as vents.

All of the branch pipes 4 are provided with sections of hose 4*- at their outlet ends, which sections of hose carry nozzles 4 having restricted openings 45 therein of approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the branch pipes, and the branch pipes are adapted to be closed by clamping these hose sections with squeezer tongs 9.0. The number of branch pipes adjacent the vented end of the riser 3 which are left open as vents are selected so that the combined restricted openings of their nozzles are adapted to equal approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the riser 3. Where the riser 3 is reduced, as between the points 15 and 16, vents, as at 15, are preferably lett open to maintain the vent ratio throughout the riser.

Experience has shown that the most practical operating air or fluid pressure to use in carrying out this method is about 80 pounds gage pressure plus about one pound for every foot of height when the coating material is being forced into the system. It has also been demonstrated that unless the pipes or units to be coated are restricted at their outer ends to approximately 0.35 of their cross-sectional area the cement grout will not be properly distributed.

It should be understood that, if desired, various other fluid pressures may be used with proportionately greater or smaller outlet ports 4 in the nozzles 4 of the hose sections 4* to permit the proper flow of coating through the pipes.

With the unit vented as above described, the air or gaseous fluid under pressure will be admitted from the tanks 9 to the gun or vessel 6 by opening the valve 13, and the cement grout from the vessel or gun 6 will be blown upwardly through the riser 3 and outwardly through each of the branch pipes 4. This blowing of the grout will e continued until the air or gaseous fluid has escaped through the vents at the upper end of the unit, at which time the valve 13 will be closed and the valve 1 1 opened for bleeding or escape of the air or fluid the vessel or gun 6 and the unit of pipfrom After the cement rout has been thus distributed throughout t e unit the open or vented branches 4 Wlll be closed by applying the squeezer tongs 20 to the hose sections at the outer end of the branches, and the valve 13 will again be opened to admit air or gaseous fluid under pressure to the piping unit, and each of the branch pipes 4 will then be opened momentarily to permit the fluid to blow therethrough to insure the clearing of each of said branch pipes. After each of the branch pipes has thus been blown, the fluid pressure will again be taken ofl of the unitby closing the valve 13and opening the valve 14;. When the systems being coated includes elbows, bends, etc., it will then be per.- niitted to stand without fluid pressure for a time and then prior to the time the cement grout begins to set the vents and the valve 13 will again be opened and the valve 14 closed so as to again permit air or gaseous fluid to blow into the piping unit to insure the spreading of any of: the grout which may have run only be accomplished b Lessee-i sure may again be admitted to the unit by opening the vents and the valve 13 and closing the valve 1 1. This last blowing operation also will be only momentary and serves to insure the removal of any deposits of the coating that may have accumulated at bends or in fittings of the unit.

If desired, fluid pressure may be applied to the unit after any or all of the above flowing operations and the squeezer tongs may be operated on any of the branchpipes 4 while said pressure is on the unit in order to insure the clearing of the branch pipes.

Experience has shown that blowing of the grout through a unit of the piping system can the use of a high pressure and eontrolle rate of flow. By high pressure is meant a pressure of approximately 80 pounds gage pressure plus two pounds for each vertical height for lift and friction. As stated before, the unit is vented at or adjacent the end farthest away from the point at which the grout enters an said vent or vents are equal to approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the pipe or pipes being coated. With a vent or vents of the above stated size, a fluid pressure of 80 pounds per square inch near the vents has been found to be the most practical and to give the best spreading results when coating the pipe or pipes with cement grout.

It will, of course, be understood that while the above method hasbeen described as applicable to piping systems, it is not limited to such use but may be applied to the coating of a single pipe or plurality of connected pipes, as desired. The coating may also be applied to pipes or piping systems which are corroded or uncorroded, as desired. The only modification necessary when coating clean pipes or piping systems is the omission of the steps necessary for removing corrosion deposits.

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a schematic piping system and with a certain arrangement of apparatus, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various forms of apparatus may be used in-carrying out my inmay be treated.

What I claim is:

1. The method of reclaiming corroded hollow metal articles, such as tanks, pipe and cylinders, which consists in blowing granular abrasive material through said article to remove the corrosion, then closing said article except for an inlet and vent, and then blowvention and new forms of piping systems ing cement grout through said article, continuing the blowing until air passes through said vent, stopping the blowing, then blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through the article prior to the time the cement begins to set so as to spread any of the cement that has accumulated in deposits throughout the article being coated, and finally blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through the article as said cement begins to set, to finally spread any accumulated deposits of cement and clear the article. 7

2. The method of coating an assembled piping system which consists in separating said system into units consisting of one main feeder pipe and a series of branch pipesleading from said main feeder pipe; closing said main pipe and a sufficient number of the branch pipes to leave a vent area in the system of approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the main pipe, then blowing cement grout through said system, continuing the blowing until air passes through the vent, stopping the blowing and closing said vent, then applying gaseous fluid under pressure to the system and opening each of the several branch pipes and permitting the fluid to blow therethrough, removing the fluid pressure after blowing each of the said branch lines, again blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through said system just prior to the time said cement begins to set, for a short period, to spread the cement, again stopping said blowing of fluid under pressure until the cement begins to set, and then finally blowing fluid under pressure through the system after said cement has started to set to finally smooth the surface of the cement coating and clear any stoppages from the system unit.

3. The method of reclaiming a corroded piping system, which consists in separating said systems into units consisting of one main feeder pipe and a series of branch pipes leading from said main feeder pipe, blowing a granular abrasive material through said pipes to remove the corrosion, then closing said main pipe and suflicient of the branch' pipes to leave a vent area in the system of approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the main pipe, then blowing cement grout through said system, continuing theblowing until air passes through the vent, stopping the blowing and closing said vent, then applying gaseous fluid under pressure to the system and opening each of the several branch pipes and permitting the fluid to blow therethro-ugh, removing the fluid pressure after blowing each ofthe said branch lines, again blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through said svstem just prior to the time said cement begins to set, for a short period, to spread the cement, again stopping said blowing of fluid under pressure until cement begins to set, and then finally blowing fluid under pressure through the system after said cement has started to set .to finally smooth the surface of the cement coating and clear any stoppages from the system unit.

4. The method of coating hollow metal articles such as tanks, pipe and cylinders which consists in closing said article except for an inlet and vent, and then blowing semifluid, non-corrosive coating material through said vent, stopping the blowing, then blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through the article prior to the time the coating begins to set so as to spread any of the coating that has accumulated in deposits throughout the article being coated and finally blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through the article as said coating material begins to set to finally spread any accumulated deposits of material and clear the article;

5. The method of coating hollow metal articles such as tanks, pipe and cylinders which consists in closing said article except for an inlet and a vent, said vent being approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the article, and then blowing cement grout through the article, continuing the blowinguntil air passes through-said\vent, stopping the blowing, then-blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through the article prior to the time the cement begins to set so as to spread any of the cement that has accumulated in deposits throughout the article being coated, and then finally blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through the article as said cement begins to set, to spread any accumulated deposits of cement and clear the article. 7

6. The method of coating an assembled piping system which consists inclosing said system except'for an inlet and vent, then blowing cement grout through said system, continuing the blowing until air passes through the vent, stopping the blowing and closing said vent, then applying gaseous fluid under pressure to the system and venting each individual line of the system and permitting the fluid to blow therethrough, removing the fluid pressure after blowing each of the individual lines of the system, again blowing gaseous fluid under pressure through said system just prior to the time said cement begins to set, for a short period, to spreaol'the cement, again stopping said blowing of fluid under pressure until the cement begins to set, and then'finally blowing fluid under pressure through the system after said cement has started to set to finally smooth the surface of the cement coating and clear any stoppages from the system.

7. The method of coating hollow metal articles such as tanks, pipe and cylinders which consists in closing said article except for an inlet and vent, said vent being of approximately 0.35 of the cross-sectional area of the article, and then blowing cement grout through 52 d. article from said inlet P 41;} r eee eer at pressure auaptecl to give a pressure of approximately eighty" pounds per square inch acent the vent continuing the hloW- ing until air passes through saicl vent, stopping the blowing by blowing gaseous fluid through the article at substantially eighty pounds per square inch pressure prior to the time the cement begins to set so as to spreatl any of the cement that has accumulatecl in depesits throughout the article being coatecl, again stopping the blowing until said cehas begun to set, and finally blowing gaseous fluid untler substantially eighty pounds per square inch pressure through the article after sai l cement has begun to set to finally spreaol any accumulated. cleposits of cement and clear the article.

lln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

EUGENE L. onarrnrn 

